Govt faces dilemma due to public skepticism: Marzuki<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Human rights campaigner Marzuki Darusman said on
\nThursday the government faced a dilemma in solving various
\nsociopolitical problems due to strong public skepticism.<\/p>\n
"On one side, skepticism could arise from the government's
\nclumsiness in handling problems. But on the other side, if there
\nis a problem which could be swiftly solved, it will raise
\nsuspicion that it has engineered a resolution," Marzuki told
\nreporters after meeting Coordinating Minister for Political
\nAffairs and Security Feisal Tanjung at his office in Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Marzuki, who is deputy chairman of the National Commission on
\nHuman Rights, was referring to the murder of more than 100
\npeople, including religious teachers, over the past two months in
\nEast Java and last week's killing of 18-year-old Marthadinata,
\nwho was associated with the Volunteers for Humanity.<\/p>\n
The government has been criticized for its slow response to
\nthe East Java killings, while the Jakarta Police have been
\nsuspected of fabricating the motive behind Marthadinata's murder,
\nwhich many believe was politically motivated.<\/p>\n
Police arrested a suspect the day after the murder and have
\nmaintained that economic motives lay behind the crime.<\/p>\n
"This is a problematic situation for the government," Marzuki
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Thursday's meeting was also attended by, among others,
\nMinister of Defense and Security\/Armed Forces Commander Gen.
\nWiranto and Attorney General Andi Muhammad Ghalib.<\/p>\n
During the meeting, Marzuki said, the issue of national
\nreconciliation was also raised.<\/p>\n
"The government thinks that what the public wants regarding
\nreconciliation is to replace the administration and form a
\npresidium.<\/p>\n
"While the government's version of reconciliation is an
\napproach to list various problems and then work together with the
\npublic, we'll look for a solution," he said.<\/p>\n
Prerequisites to national reconciliation were earlier raised
\nby human rights campaigners and observers. They said unaddressed
\npublic grievances should be disclosed before a reconciliation was
\npossible. The government has recently been facing public demands
\nto look into outstanding grievances such as the 1984 Tanjung
\nPriok incident in which hundreds were said to have been killed in
\na clash with security forces.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie gave the go-ahead on Sept. 4 for the
\nestablishment of a National Reconciliation Team to head off a
\nrising threat of disintegration and separatism in the country.<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice Muladi said at the time the team --
\ncomprised of Cabinet ministers, human rights activists and other
\npublic figures -- was expected to unite all of the nation's
\nforces, encourage people to turn past adverse experiences into
\nbitter but valuable lessons for a better future and bridge gaps
\nbetween conflicting parties in the society.<\/p>\n
The President appointed Muladi as a liaison official between
\nthe government and the other institutions. The government will be
\nrepresented by Feisal, Wiranto and Muladi.<\/p>\n
Marzuki has said that national reconciliation was needed
\nbecause the country's unity was being threatened by marked
\nsuspicion among different elements of the population and public
\ndistrust of the government.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said on Thursday that the rights body would meet
\nHabibie on Friday to discuss various human rights issues,
\nincluding cases of missing people. (byg)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-faces-dilemma-due-to-public-skepticism-marzuki-1447893297",
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